Latest Buzz: The Apple Watch

The next big thing from the geniuses over at Apple, the Apple Watch, has taken the marketplace by storm. It was made available for preorder on April 10th in the United States, and Apple reported that a mind-blowing one million orders were placed that same day.

Boasting the same kind of user-friendly functionality that we’ve come to expect from Apple, the Apple Watch is also a total fitness tracker. This means that it has the potential to replace those stand-alone Fitbit’s that have become so trendy over the course of the past year.

So let’s briefly look at just a few of the features that make the Apple Watch one of this year’s must-have items:

1. The Basics

The Apple watch ticks all the basics you’d expect from a next generation piece of personal wear

Make and receive calls

Yes, the Apple Watch is fully compatible with all versions of both the iPhone 5 and 6, and it can send and receive calls. The watch is also wi-fi enabled, which was expected.

Walkie-Talkie function

If you don’t want to have a lengthy conversation with anyone, you can quickly send brief voice messages by utilizing the Walkie-Talkie function of the Apple Watch. Think of it like audible SMS.

Digital Touch

This feature enables Apple Watch users to sketch out and send pictures to friends and recipients with very little effort.

Taptic Engine

The Taptic Engine is the means by which you’re notified about new messages and updates on your Apple Watch. You receive notifications via “taps” (brief vibrations), and you can use this feature to grab an unresponsive friend’s attention, as well, much like a Facebook “poke”.

Animated 3D Emojis

Send three-dimensional emoji’s to friends and family! There’s a whole range of beautifully animated emoji to choose from that can help you to express any mood with ease.

2. Media and Apps

On top of all the functionality basics, there are a few neat media additions included.

iTunes

The Apple Watch is fully compatible with both iTunes and Apple TV, which allows users to listen to any of the files in their iTunes library with a simple swipe, no matter where they might find themselves in the world.

What can I help you with?

Siri comes built-in with the Apple Watch, which means that you can get directions, make reservations, or find whatever you’re looking for from your new Apple Watch. Or just have a little talk with Siri and let that soothing voice calm your nerves.

ApplePay

Apple’s answer to PayPal, ApplePay, is also available via the new Apple Watch. Apple Pay allows you to check out instantaneously at participating businesses, and subscribers can currently make use of it at Macy’s, Whole Foods, and Duane Reade, to name just a few.

3. Fitness

How could a piece of wearable tech be complete without a suite of fitness trackers?

Calorie counter

The Apple Watch doubles as a pedometer and automatically will count your steps for you, and then let you know how many calories you’ve burned via walking at the end of the day.

Heart Rate Monitor

If you’ve been feeling some undue stress lately, you might want to watch that heart rate of yours. With Apple Watch, it’s as simple as the “on” button.

Four sensors on the back of the watch measure your pulse and store the information digitally. You can even send friends and family a reproduction of your heart rate via the aforementioned Taptic Engine.

Goal Setting

With the new Workout app, the Apple Watch can assist you in tracking your overall health and determining new fitness goals. As I’ve already mentioned, it will keep track of the number of steps you’ve taken during the day and record the number of calories burned.

It can then compare this number to the goals you’ve set for yourself and provide you with detailed information about your daily progress.

Overall, this new addition to the Mac family delivers on the features we’ve come to expect from Apple and sets the stage for a new generation of tech interaction.